I went in to the local Wolf Camera a couple of weeks ago. I asked to
see an Olympus E-410. I let the clerk fumble through the P&S section
to his heart's content. He then told me, while holding a smalll Canon
in his hand, "We don't carry that model." So I asked, "Well, can I
look at that camera right there?" pointing at the E-410. He picked it
up and handed it to me, oblivious of the model number and blissfully
unaware that that I had gotten what I had requested in the first
place.

You could assume that after being on the market for two months, the
staff might know that the E-410 exists. Bad assumption. It was an
entertaining visit though because actually holding the E-410 at a
Wolf Camera exceeded my expectations.

That sort of service reminds me of the Silicon Valley. The moment you enter Fry's Electronics there will be three clerks jumping right in front of you with "Can I help you?". All you have to do is to ask them some sort of a question they are not prepared to answer, like "I am looking for dipolar speakers to match my two bi-polar front towers". You can roam freely for at least half hour before you even see them again. Just like Louis said - "you give them peanuts and you get back monkeys". Makes you feel proud, does not it?